Puella Magi Fullmetal Magica
by RinTheMagicalGirl
Summary: Mitakihara is a Japanese settlement in the east of Amestris. Ed and Al go there in search of a girl with a strange red gem, but then a mysterious creature offers them a wish! And to top it off, magic, pretty much the opposite of alchemy, is real! Heh, sorry I suck at summaries. Rated T because of Ed and Kyoko's potty mouths and my paranoia! There MIGHT be pairings later on...
1. Prologue

**This is my first fic, so please be nice! Reviews appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or anything in this!**

**-line-**

Ed stares blankly at the picture handed to him. Al was peering over his shoulder to look at it as well.

"There have been sightings of a girl possessing a red stone near the town of Mitakihara." Mustang tells him. He was sitting behind his desk with his chin rested on his fist.

"Yeah? And are you sure it's a Philosopher's Stone?" Ed asks him, looking up from the picture. It was a fuzzy picture of a girl with a long ponytail holding a lance. Her expression was not a happy one.

"From what I've heard, she made a lance out of thin air. What else could it be?" Mustang says with a yawn. They were both tired, even though it wasn't that late. "I know that you've been getting a lot of false leads, and you're tired of it. But it's all we've got and you have to deal with it, shrimp."

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SO SMALL HE CAN'T EVEN LOOK OVER A DESK WITHOUT USING A LADDER!?" Ed roared. After calming down, he put the picture on his desk and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine, whatever. We'll leave tomorrow." He gets up and sighs. "Come on Al."

Al nods and follows his brother out the door. "So, do you think it'll be the real thing this time?" Al asks.

"Who knows?" Ed says with a shrug. "Maybe, maybe not." A smirk slowly grows on his face. "But if it is, then our struggle will finally be over."

"If we can get the Stone in the first place." Al points out.

"Heh. Yeah." Ed agrees.

-line-

**Uh, that kinda sucked. Oh well! I'll get better eventually! More is coming, so sit tight folks!**


	2. What a weird dream! Ch1

**Hello! Sorry for my noobie-ness! I'm still getting' used to this ^_^;**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything like that. (I wish I did though!)**

**-Line-**

The next day, Ed and Al booked a train to Mitakihara.

Sitting on said train, Ed and Al look out the window. They had been discussing the situation, and it had already been an hour.

With a huge yawn, Ed falls asleep.

_He, Al, and a girl with pink hair tied up in pony tails run through a strange building. After a while of running and going through doors and hallways, they find a set of stairs. They go up, then keep going until they reach another door._

_Madoka pushes it open, then gasps at the landscape in front of them. It looked apocalyptic, and there were chunks of skyscrapers, roads, and rock floating in the air. Beyond all that was an enormous… Thing_

_A girl with dark hair was standing on a building before leaping off to fight it. Another floating building went towards her, smashing into a ruined skyscraper. She reappeared a distance away, then bolts of fire shoot at her. She disappears and reappears out of its way, then holds her buckler up to block the next attack._

"_That's horrible!" The Madoka exclaims, stepping closer to the edge. "She's going to get hurt!"_

"_There's no helping it." A small cat-like creature says. "This was too much for her to handle alone. But she came here knowing that."_

_A blast of fire hits the raven-haired girl, sending her flying. She crashes into a huge tree._

"_She won't just get hurt! She's going to get killed at this rate!" Al gasps. He wanted to do something to help her. To stop all the damage. But he couldn't. What was ahead was far stronger than anything he and Ed had ever faced, and he knew that._

_The girl looks at Ed, Al, and Madoka, then yells something at them, but she was much too far away for her voice to go that far._

"_If she gives up it's all over." The creature says, flicking its puffy tail back and forth. Its red eyes gleam as a street light flickers on and off. "But all three of you have the power to change fate itself."_

_The girl had slipped off the tree, and was beginning to fall down. She was still trying to tell them something, but again, she was too far away._

"_What, really?" Ed asks, still focusing on the huge thing in the distance and the falling girl._

"_All this inevitable destruction and tragedy… You can change it if you want." The creature tells them._

"_Can we really?" Madoka asks._

_Ed and Al look at the creature with curiosity._

"_Can we really do something to change all this?" Ed half growls at it. "Or are you just screwing with us?"_

"_I'm not lying. You really do have enough potential to stop all this!" The creature says. It turns to look at them. "All you have to do is make a contract!"_

_Ed opens his mouth to say something, then…_

"Ah!" He yelps, jolting awake. Al was shaking him. The cold metal of his hands were enough in the first place though.

"Brother, are you okay?" Al asks, sitting back in his seat.

Ed rubs his eyes and looks around. "Uh, yeah." He yawns. "Just had a weird dream."

"Really? Well we're here." Alphonse tells him.

The train had pulled into the station, and Ed looks out the window. His eyes scan the area outside, and found that it was very different from what he was used to.

"Woah." He gasps. "It looks weird."

Mitakihara was pretty different from the rest of Amestris. While technology wise it was similar, the design of the buildings and the overall atmosphere were nowhere near the same as what they were used to.

"Yeah." Al says in agreement. "We should probably get off the train now."

Ed nods and gets off his seat. He stretches, then they exit.

**-line-**

**And a bit more to add to the story! You can guess why Ed was having that dream. I'll give a cookie to whomever guesses it first! So, uh… Yeah. Review it please!**


	3. And the weirdness begins Ch2

**Hi. I'm probably gonna end up rewriting parts of the story, adding detail, stuff like that. Tips would be appreciated!**

The first thing they did was get a hotel room.

Sitting on the bed, Ed stretches. "This city is pretty weird." He comments. "Everything is a lot more complicated."

Al nods, his armor creaking slightly. "I get a lot more strange looks than usual here too…" He says. "I guess they _really_ aren't used to seeing armor."

"Well if anyone makes fun of you or anything I'll beat the crap outta them." Ed assures Al with a slightly joking tone. He was serious though.

"Hey, so tell me about the weird dream you had. It wasn't a nightmare was it?" Al asks.

"Yeah, no nightmare. It was freaky as hell though." Ed tells him. "Well for starters…"

After explaining it to Al, he sits up.

"So… A girl was fighting a huge monster. A strange cat thing offered us a "contract". And there was a girl with pink hair there too?" Al asks with an amused tone.

"Yup, pretty much." Ed confirms. "Weird right? It certainly was better than the usual though."

Al doesn't say anything, but then a voice rings through their minds.

"_Help!"_ It says.

"What the hell!?" Ed gasps as he jolts upwards.

"_Help me!"_ It says again.

"Brother, do you hear it too?" Al asks in confusion.

Ed nods. "Yeah. Do you have any idea what it was?" He says as he stands up.

"Mm-mm."

"Okay… We should go check it out."

**And things are happening now. Sorry for a short chapter. The next will be up soon!**


	4. What is going on? Ch3

**Yo. Here's the next chapter!**

Ed and Al exit the hotel in a hurry, curious about the strange voice that had entered their minds.

"What do you think it is, Brother?" Alphonse asks as he follows Ed.

"No idea. I wanna find out what it is though." Ed mumbles.

The voice seemed to lead them through the streets, even though it wasn't a physical voice. They kept walking until they reached a mall of sorts.

"This way." Ed says to Al. They wander into the store and they weave through the crowd of people inside.

"Man, it's really packed in here." Ed grumbles as he pushes his way through.

"It is a store, you know." Al chuckles. "Of course it's going to be full of people."

They reached a floor that was closed due to remodeling. Ed and Al look at each other and nod, deciding that it was the right way to go

"_Edward, Alphonse! Help me!"_ The voice cries again.

"Let's hurry." Al says to Ed as they make their way towards some stairs. Ed looks up and sees a flash of pink, then the door at the top closed. Al didn't notice, so he didn't mention it.

They hop over the rope stand blocking the staircase and they go up the stairs and through the door.

The next room way big and dark with thinks like chain links, ladders, and boards lying around. A girl with pink hair tied up in twin pony tails was walking through the room, looking around nervously.

Ed stiffens in recognition. "That looks like…" He thinks.

"Where are you?" The girl called out, looking for something.

"H-hey!" Ed called out. The girl jumps in surprise and whirls around to face them.

"O-oh. Hello." She says timidly.

Al steps closer, and the girl steps back. She looked a bit scared of him

"Are you looking for something?" He asks, trying not to scare her further.

The pink haired girl relaxes slightly, then nods. "Y-yeah. But it's really dark in here and I can't really see anything." She tells him. She squints and looks at Ed and Al, then makes a small gasp.

"Those two are…" She thinks, then a metal panel on the ceiling rattles.

All three look at it, then it falls down. A small white creature was lying on in.

The pink haired girl runs over to it, and Ed and Al trail behind, unsure of what to do.

"Is that the thing that was calling for us?" Ed mutters as the girl picks it up.

"I-is it okay?" Al asks, worried for the cat-like creature. "The poor little thing looks really hurt."

"I don't know." The girl says as she cradles it in her arms. A chain falls down from the ceiling, and so does another girl.

Ed and the pink haired girl gasp as they look at her. Al just kinda looked confused.

"Homura?" The pink haired girl squeaks.

"Get away from that creature." Homura says calmly.

Ed noticed two things about her.

She is dressed really weird.

Is that another person from my dream!?

"Hey, who are you!?" Ed demands, standing up straighter. "What is that thing!?"

Homura's violet gaze lands on him, and he steps back slightly. There was a strange air around her, and her eyes had a look in them that he couldn't figure out.

"That thing is a monster." She says coldly. She starts walking towards the pink haired girl.

She flinches and turns away slightly. "L-leave him alone!" She whimpers, holding the creature closer to her. "Stop trying to hurt him.

"This doesn't concern you." Homura says.

Al steps forwards. "But he was calling out to us!" Al tells her. "He was asking for help!"

Homura tilts her head to the side slightly. "Really?" She says. It wasn't a question, but she didn't sound amused either.

Ed scowls and steps in front of the little pinkette. "Get lost. I don't want any trouble." He says, slightly threateningly.

Homura stops and stares at him.

"And again with the staring." He thinks. A moment passes, then a blast of fire extinguisher foam hits Homura.

"Ah!" Homura gasps as it hits her.

"Over here Madoka!" A blue haired girl yells. She was holding the fire extinguisher.

She glances at Ed and Al. "You guys come too!"

"Sayaka!" Madoka cheers thankfully. She runs to her friend with Ed and Al tagging along.

"This is weird." Al laughs, a bit amused by the situation.

"Lots of weird hair colors." Ed smirks.

Sayaka throws the fire extinguisher at Homura, and a loud thunk rings through the air.

"I heard that, you know." Sayaka says to Ed, unhappy about his comment. "Hmph, whatever! Let's go!"

The four of them start to run, ready to get away from Homura.

"So now she's attacking you in cosplay!?" Sayaka yells to Madoka as they run. "What's with that chick!? And what's that thing you're carrying!? It looks like a stuffed animal! Is it alive?"

"I don't know!" Madoka says, panting slightly. "And I don't know why this is happening but we have to save him!"

Sayaka looks over her shoulder at Ed and Al.

"So who're you guys?" She asks.

"I'm Edward Elric." Ed says,

"I'm Alphonse Elric." Al tells her. "I'm Ed's little brother."

Sayaka smirks. "Little brother? But you're so big and he's-"

"Finish that sentence and I will destroy you!" Ed yells.

Then, a high pitch squeal sounds and the scenery changes.

"The hell?" Ed says as he looks around. "What is it NOW!?"

They stop running. "Where'd the exit go!? Where are we!?" Sayaka exclaims.

"I don't like this place." Madoka whimpers, growing nervous. "Everything keeps changing!"

"Oh crap! What the heck's going on?" Sayaka yelps.

"This… This isn't normal at all." Al says, looking around.

Something starts clanking and moving behind them, causing all four to turn around.

"H-hey. There's something over there!" Ed says as he points at a mass of cottonball-like things. "D-…Do those things have _mustaches_!?" He would have laughed if he wasn't completely baffled about the situation.

The creepy things rise up and start chanting in a strange language, crawling closer to them. They surround them and scissors slide out of their fluffy bodies.

"This is some kind of joke right? I'm just stuck in a bad dream!" Sayaka mutters as she gets closer to Madoka. "But I'm not dreaming am I!?"

"What the hell are those!?" Ed shouts. The menacing balls of fluff weren't as funny looking anymore, and now looked pretty damn terrifying.

Just before they closed in, a ring of chains fall around Ed, Al, Madoka, and Sayaka, then a flash of bright light shines throughout the area, destroying the creatures.

"Huh? What's happening?" Madoka whispers. "I dunno." Sayaka replies.

"That was a close one, wasn't it?" A new voice says.

They all turn around to see who was talking. A girl with blonde hair and golden eyes was walking up to them, and in her hand was a glittering golden gem. "But don't worry. You're safe now."

She stops walking, and she looks at the cat-like creature in Madoka's arms. "Oh thank goodness. You rescued Kyubey for me." She says with a small smile. "I'm very grateful. He's a dear friend of mine and I was very worried."

"He called out to us." Al says, stepping closer.

"Ah, I see." The blonde girl says.

"Uh, who're you?" Ed asks cautiously. He was staring at the gem in her hand for a while now, trying to figure out what was going on. Where those things weird chimeras? Was this all happening with some kind of freaky alchemy?

"Oh that's right. I should introduce myself." She says as a wind picks up. It blows the curls in her hair forwards, and she turns. "Actually, it's going to have to wait a bit."

She tosses the gem up in the air, and it glows very brightly. She hops a few times then catches the gem and holds it out in front of her. "Please excuse me! I have to wrap this up first." The gem flashes brightly, and then her outfit starts to change.

When the light faded, she was wearing something like a gunner outfit with a yellow skirt and a brown corset. It made her breasts look bigger…

She jumps into the air and a flintlock rifle appears out of nowhere, then many more appear, causing Ed to gape and his eyes to widen.

The puffy things swirled around her, but the rifles all fire at once. The bullets rain down on the enemies, killing them, then the girl lands gracefully.

"Wow. Amazing!" Madoka gasps.

If Al had a body, he would have the same expression as Ed. Wide eyed and an open mouth.

The strange area around them wobbles, then it fades away, leaving the unfinished mall floor in place.

"We're back!" Sayaka cheers. Madoka smiles and giggles a bit, happy to be out of that terrifying place.

The blonde girl looks up as Homura appears on a covered thing.

"The Witch managed to escape." The blonde tells her, stepping closer. Ed and Al turn their gaze to Homura, and so do Madoka and Sayaka. "If you want to finish it off you'd better go after it. I won't mind if you do."

"But I still have work to do here." Homura says, glaring down at her.

"You don't understand, do you?" The blonde says, her tone changing. "I'm telling you I'm willing to overlook this."

Homura stands still.

"Honestly, don't you think it would be best if we didn't do this right now?" The blonde continues.

Homura's gaze flickers to Madoka, then Al, then Ed. Ed tenses up at the look she gives him.

Without a word, she turns around and hops down from what she was standing on.

Sayaka and Madoka let out relieved sighs, and they smile at the blonde

"Come on. Let's help Kyubey out some more." She says sweetly.

Ed and Al were still too stunned to say anything, so they just went along with it.

After healing Kyubey, it sits up. "Ah, thank you Mami!" It says. "You're a life saver!"

"So that's her name." Ed and Al think.

"Oh, no. It wasn't me." Mami tells it. "It was these four that saved you. I was just passing by."

Kyubey turns to Madoka, Al, Ed, and Sayaka.

"Thank you very much!" It says. "My name is Kyubey!"

"Uh. Hello… Kyubey." Al says. "Just roll with it." He tells himself. "Ask questions later…"

"Are you the one who was calling for our help?" Madoka asks.

"That's right, Madoka Kaname!" It says. "And Sayaka Miki. And Edward and Alphonse Elric."

"Whoa, hang on a sec! How do you know our names?" Sayaka gasps.

"I came here because I have a favor to ask of you four." It says.

"What do you mean?" Alphonse asks, curious about the favor.

"Well you and Edward… I want you to make contracts with me and become Magical Boys (**A/N: Yeah, those exist. They explanation as to why they can make contracts will come later!)** And Madoka and Sayaka. I want you to become Magical Girls!" It says cheerfully.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Ed bursts out.

**And that is done. Whew. Long chapter. Next one'll be up soon!**


	5. So magic is a real thing? Ch4

**Hi! Just to clear something up, Homura will not be paired with Ed or Al. I remain a strong MadoHomu shipper! But they won't be paired either. Honestly, I was think something like Ed and Kyoko :D. I think they'd be pretty damn cute together. But that is for later chapters!**

* * *

><p>Sayaka covered Madoka's ears and Mami gained a startled expression while Ed went onto a rant about how magic was impossible, using quite a few swear words… A lot. He used a lot of swear words.<p>

"I take it you're an alchemist?" Mami says with a slightly amused smile.

"We're both alchemists." Al informs her.

"You don't seem to have a problem with the whole magic concept." Sayaka points out, shifting her position slightly so that she wouldn't be sitting on her legs anymore.

"Actually, I just don't really understand what's going on. It sounds very far-fetched to me." Al says.

Ed crosses his arms. "Not to mention this is all bullshit." He grumbles.

Sayaka scowls at him. "Cut that out. Madoka's too young to hear that kind of language!" She scolds him. (**Madoka is 12 years old)**

Mami claps her hands together to draw their attention. "This isn't really the best place to talk." She says. "How about tomorrow you can all come by my apartment and I'll explain some things."

* * *

><p>The next day, after Sayaka, Mami, and Madoka had gotten out of school, Ed and Al had decided to go and see Mami to learn more about magic and the contract that Kyubey had mentioned.<p>

Ed knocks on the door, and after a few seconds the door opened.

"Good afternoon." Mami greets them as she opened the door wider to let them in.

The girls sat on cushions around a low glass table, and Ed and Al sat on the red couch near the table.

Everyone except for Al was eating cake. He had to politely decline, and it was just a bit awkward…

"This 's really good." Ed comments, refraining from eating all of the cake in one bite.

"Yeah, it's so delicious!" Madoka chirps.

"Super delicious!" Sayaka agrees before taking another bite.

Mami smiles. "Thank you." She says softly. She looks at all of them. "Since Kyubey chose the four of you that means you're all involved in this, like it or not. I thought it might be good if we had a talk."

"Mm-hm. Ask us anything you want." Sayaka says after taking a sip of her tea.

"I don't think you've got it right." Al laughs.

Mami's eyes shine with amusement and she moves her hands, revealing the glittering golden gem she had yesterday.

"Oh, pretty!" Madoka says, looking at it.

"That's the thing from yesterday right? Your magic rock 're something?" Ed says skeptically.

"You're sort of right. It's called a soul gem." She explains. "When Kyubey chooses someone, it is created when they make a contract. It's the source of our magic and proof of a contract."

Ed puts down his now empty plate on the stand next to the couch and he stretches. "You keep mentioning a contract. What is it, exactly?" He asks, relaxing into the couch.

"I will grant each of you one wish!" Kyubey says. "Any wish you desire."

Ed nearly hopped out of his seat. "Really?" He gasped. You know what was on his mind.

"For reals?" Sayaka asked.

"Of course!" Kyubey says. "I can grant the most impossible of miracles!"

Ed and Al look at each other and grin. Well, Al didn't grin, but you get the idea.

"Woah! We could wish for treasure! Or eternal youth! Or a hundred and eighty course banquet!" Sayaka says, putting her hand on her cheek and sighing.

"Maybe not that last one." Madoka laughs timidly.

"And in exchange for that wish, your soul gem is created! But if you have a soul gem, it will be your duty to fight witches!" Kyubey finished.

"Witches?" Ed asked. Yup. He knew there would be some catch, and here it was. "What are those?"

"Do you remember the creatures from yesterday?" Mami asked him.

He nodded in response. "Were _those_ witches?"

Mami shook her head. "Those were familiars. They are created by the witches to protect it in its lair." Mami said. Her soul gem discreetly turns into its ring form and she slips it on.

"So, are witches different from Magical Girls, and Magical… Guys, I guess…?" Sayaka asked, putting her hands in her lap.

"If Magical Girls and Boys are said to be born from wishes, then Witches are creatures born from curses." Kyubey explained. "Those created from wishes spread hope to the world, but the Witches bring despair. And since they are invisible to humans, they're that much more insidious."

Kyubey tilts its head slightly. "Anxiety and distrust, rage and hatred. They sow the seeds of disaster all over the world."

"Suicides that can't be explained and murders without motive. A Witch's curse is most likely the cause of such things." Mami says, her tone grim and serious. "It festers within a person, and grows and grows until it consumes them."

"If they're that dangerous, why don't more people know about them?" Sayaka asks.

Ed was starting to like the situation less and less. These Witches sounded really dangerous, and he doubted Al would like it if he died fighting one.

"Witches are careful about not letting humans see them. They hide deep within the labyrinths they create. You know that maze-like place you were in yesterday?" Kyubey asks. Madoka and Sayaka nod. "That was a labyrinth."

Al's armor clanks a bit as he leans over to Ed. "Brother, what are you thinking?" He asked quietly as Mami started to talk.

"You were actually in a lot of danger." She says. "When a human wanders into a labyrinth, they seldom make it out alive."

"I don't know, Al. This is starting to sound really fishy." Ed whispers as he listens to the girls' conversation.

"-fight these horrible creatures?" Madoka asks softly. Ed hadn't been listening to all of her sentence.

"Yes. Everytime I go into a labyrinth, I risk my life." Mami says. "That's why you should think carefully about your wish. It is true that he will give you whatever wish you want," Her eyes narrow with seriousness. "But remember. Death _is_ part of that deal."

Sayaka looks up slightly and sighs. "Ugh. Now I'm stressed." She moans.

Al looks at Ed. He wanted their bodies back to normal, but it sounded like this was really dangerous stuff. They could die during a fight after all, and then what would the point be? Ed was thinking the same thing, but then again… He had to get Al's body back. He had to take the severity of the contract into consideration too, though.

"It's a tough decision, I know." Mami said, noticing the looks in their eyes. "Maybe if you come along with me on some Witch hunts you can decide whether or not you want to make a contract. See for yourselves what it's like to fight a Witch. Think about the offer a little longer."

A few seconds of silence pass, and Sayaka clears her throat.

"That transfer student. The one who's new in class?" She mutters. "What's her name…?"

"Homura?" Madoka offers.

"Yeah, that's it!" Sayaka exclaims. She looks at Mami. "Is she the same as you?"

Mami nods. "She is. There's no doubt. And she's a very powerful one too."Then she's a good guy, right?" Sayaka asked. "I mean she fights witches 'n stuff like you right?"

"...But then… Why would she attack these three?" Sayaka points to Ed, Al, and Madoka.

Kyubey looked up at her. "It was me she was after." It states. "I _think _she was trying to keep me from making contracts with them."

"But, uh, if you're all trying to fight and kill witches, wouldn't it be better to help you make more contracts?" Al questioned. "It would be easier to fight witches after all if there's more Magical Girls and Magical Boys around."

Mami's soul gem turns into its egg shape and she looks at it. "Not necessarily. It's actually more common for Magical Girls to fight rather than to work together." She says.

"Huh? How come?" Ed yawns. It was getting rather late, and it had been a really exciting day, so he was tired. "It'd make sense to work together right?

"When a witch is killed, you'll acquire a certain rewards. That's why, depending on the situation, Magical Girls will fight and the winner gets the reward."

"Okay hold up-" Sayaka starts to talk and Ed and Al look at each other again.

"It almost sounds like a trick." Ed whispers to Al. "We can get our bodies back, but Witch fighting sounds like it could easily kill us. And if other Magical Girls or somethin' would be trying to kill us too..."

"I think that we should wait and see what a Witch fight is like first since that would be our main problem." Al whispers back. "Because if it really is as life-threatening as it sounds it wouldn't be a good idea."

"Well I guess it would beat the purpose of the wish if we died right after it, so…" Ed trails off as he focuses back on the conversation, but it was over.

"So we'll meet up tomorrow and I'll show you all what it is like to be a Magical Girl." Mami says. She looks at Ed and Al. "Or Magical Boys in your cases."

Ed and Al nod and get up. "Okay. Well we've gotta get back to the hotel." Ed says, stretching again. "Where do you want to meet up?"

"Oh, there's a café near school our school that we can meet at!" Sayaka says.

"That sounds good." Mami agrees. "I think I know which one you're talking about. I'll write down the address for Edward and Alphonse."

After a minute, she hands them a slip of paper. "Alright, thanks." Ed said, heading for the door.

"We'll see you tomorrow!" Al waves goodbye before leaving.

* * *

><p><strong>So how was that? By the way, if you have any suggestions or things that you want to have in this fanfic, tell me and I'll see if I can work it in somewhere :3 And another thing; there will be more time in this timeline for extra stuff, too… So. Yeah. Review please! Oh, and I know that magic hasn't really been explained to Ed and Al yet. It'll come later.<strong>


	6. Begin the Witch Hunt! Ch5

**Awright, chapter five! Here it is! Sorry for takin' a while to get this done! I've been busy with highschool and whatnot.**

* * *

><p>Ed and Al stayed up late talking about their wish after they got back to the hotel, and talked about it after Ed woke up the next day as well.<p>

"We came here to look for a Philosopher's Stone, but now we've got a chance at getting our bodies back and its right in our faces. But it's got a catch, as always…" Ed thinks. No need to risk their lives if they could get the Stone, right? But if they couldn't get it, they had something to turn to.

"I wonder what all this "magic" business is all about." Ed grumbles after a few minutes, repositioning his pillow. "They never really explained it. Just the whole contract thing."

"Perhaps we'll have to figure it out ourselves." Alphonse says. He puts down the book he was reading and looks at the digital clock that sat next to the bed on a bedstand. "When does Mami and everyone get out of school?"

Ed shrugs. "Three or somethin'." He says. "What time is it?"

"Uh. 2:30." Al responds. "So we've got about twenty minutes."

"Why not thirty?" Ed asks, sitting up.

"Cuz it'll take us a while to find the café."

"Oh." Ed mumbles as he gets off the bed.

* * *

><p>Mami leans over the table slightly with a smile. "Well, time to start lesson one of the Magical experience. That's what I like to call it, anyways." She says with a small giggle. "I hope you're ready."<p>

Ed mentally sighed. If fighting magical monsters with teenage girls dressed up in frilly dresses was what it would take to get Al back to normal, then so be it.

"I don't know if it'll make a difference, but" Sayaka says as she forcefully pushes something onto the table. "I brought this!"

She pulls the cloth off of it to reveal a baseball bat, and she holds it up proudly.

Ed snickers at her attempt to be useful, and she sends a glare at him.

"It's better than not having anything at all." She says. "And I don't see you with anything, so you can't laugh!"

Madoka looks at them timidly and takes a book out of her backpack. "I-I brought this." She says as she puts it on the table. She opens it and flips the page to a bunch of doodles and drawings.

There were drawings of Magical Girl costume designs and a drawing of Homura and Mami and a few drawings of herself wearing a cute dress.

Mami looked at it for a few seconds before smiling. "Well… You've got the right spirit." She says.

"Wow, Madoka. I can't top that." Sayaka laughs, teasing her lightly.

Madoka looked at Mami and Sayaka, slightly upset by their laughing, then sighs in defeat.

Alphonse leans over the drawings, looking at them. "I think they're nice." He says kindly, bringing a smile onto Madoka's face.

* * *

><p>Mami, Sayaka, Madoka, Ed, and Al stand in the incomplete floor of the mall where the witch used to be.<p>

A yellow light glows off of Mami's soul gem as she holds it up.

"It senses the magic residue of the witch we saw yesterday." She explains. "When we hunt, we have to search the city by foot. Once your soul gem picks up the trail, follow it until you find the witch."

Ed and Al were mesmerized by it, trying to figure out just how it was working. "Um, why does it glow?" Al asks politely. "Is it a reaction to the magic or…?" He trails off.

"Honestly, I'm not sure." Mami answers, smiling apologetically. "You can ask Kyubey for more information."

Kyubey, who was sitting on Madoka's shoulder, nods. "I'll try to answer any questions you have." It tells them.

Al nods, and Ed opens his mouth to ask a question but Sayaka covers his mouth with her hand.

"No more questions!" She says. "You can do that later!"

Ed pushes her hand away and frowns. "You don't even know what I was going to ask!" He argues. "And don't do that again!"

"Doesn't matter. Let's go witch hunting now!" Sayaka chirps, ignoring him outright. Madoka sighs at her friend's behavior.

Mami turns around. "Let's go. The more time we waste the farther away the witch will get." She says she walks up some stairs.

* * *

><p>They walk across a bridge, following Mami. Her soul gem was glowing, but it was still glowing at the same brightness.<p>

"It's not getting any brighter." Ed observes.

"That's because it's been a whole day since the witch escaped." Mami tells him, not looking up from the gem. "The trail has almost faded away."

"So if you'd gone after it instead of staying with us last night…" Ed says, trailing off.

"I might have been able to finish it off, but I would've had to leave the four of you alone and I didn't want to risk it." Mami says with a smile, looking at her trainees.

"I'm sorry." Madoka says, feeling guilty about stopping her from killing the witch.

"It's fine." Mami assures her.

Sayaka pulls her hand into a fist with admiration. "Yep! You really are an ally of justice, Mami!" She looks at the sky, changing her tone. "Not like that psycho! What's her deal, anyways!? She really pisses me off!"

"She must have had a reason to act the way she did." Al says. "She didn't look all that threatening when she was coming at us."

"Well, Al. You've got that big suit o' armor to protect you, so of course she wouldn't look threatening!" Sayaka argues. "Couldn't you see the crazy in her eyes!?"

"The crazy… in her eyes…?" Ed mutters. Homura looked at him with a strange look in her eyes, but it wasn't crazy. He'd seen crazy before, so he knew what it looked like. "Well I dunno about her. We shouldn't just assume that she's a psycho."

Sayaka looks at him, her lips pursed. "She tried to kill Kyubey! Isn't that a good enough reason?"

"Not really…" Ed says, frowning. "But we can't trust her, that's for sure."

* * *

><p>As they kept searching, the sky was getting darker.<p>

"Mami, when you look for a witch, do you look any place special for them?" Sayaka asks, breaking the silence.

Mami pauses to think for a moment before answering. "Sometimes you'll find traces of witch auras around fatal car crashes. So I check streets with heavy traffic. Then the red light district where fights usually break out." She answers. "Also, I check places people go to commit suicide. Then I check the hospitals; the worst place for a witch to hide. It's unbearable to see a witch draining the life force of a helpless person who's already weak from illness or injury."

Her soul gem glows brightly, and they all stop walking.

"It's picked up some powerful magic." Mami says quietly. "It's close. Come on, let's hurry!"

The five of them keep going until they reach an old, abandoned building.

There, Mami's soul gem shined brightly. "There's no mistaking it. It's here!" She says as she looks up.

Ed and Sayaka look at the top of the building. "Look up there!" Sayaka shouts, pointing at a woman who was about to jump.

"Crap, she's gonna kill herself!" Ed exclaims as the woman falls over the edge.

Madoka cries out in fright and Al shudders slightly, his armor body clanking. It's a pretty scary thing to watch someone try to kill themselves. Mami rushes forwards, transforming into her magic form as glowing ribbons of magic wrap around her. When she finishes, she thrusts her hand up and ribbons appear below the plummeting woman, catching her and keeping her from harm. The ribbons slowly let her down, then disappear once she was safely on the ground.

Ed, Madoka, Al, and Sayaka run forwards, stopping behind Mami to look at the woman.

After checking to make sure she's okay, Mami looks at the woman's neck where a small symbol was. "A Witch's Kiss." Mami says quietly. "I knew it."

"Ah. Is she dead?" Madoka asks nervously.

"She's okay." Mami tells her. "She just fainted is all. Let's go."

Ed and Al nod and they follow Mami into the building. When they enter, Mami stops them and she steps forward, looking around. Her soul gem shines in reaction to the witch's magic, and the entrance to the labyrinth opens up at the top of a staircase.

Mami smirks. "You won't escape this time." She says confidently as if she were talking to the witch. She turns to face Sayaka, who was holding out her bat. She puts her hand on it and squeezes, putting an enchantment of sorts on the bat.

"Woah! Look at that!" Sayaka says as she steps back, looking at the now improved weapon.

"Neat. What did you do to it?" Al asks Mami, who was going up the stairs.

"It's a small enchantment." She says. "It's not much, but it'll help fight off anything that tries to attack." She turns and looks at them. "Stay close to me when we're inside, okay?"

"'Kay." Three of the trainees answer.

Ed however, frowned and crossed his arms. "I can take care of myself." He grumbles.

Mami looks at him, her honey colored eyes now serious. "Edward, you might be used to normal things, but inside a Witch's labyrinth only a Magical Girl or Magical Boy can fully protect their selves. Everything in there views you as a meal, and they are extremely dangerous." She says sharply to get the message through.

Ed was about to give a snappy reply, but Al put his and on his shoulder.

"Just listen to her Brother. She knows what she's talking about. I think." Al tells him.

Ed looks up at his younger brother, frowning, then mumbles something.

"What was that?" Mami asks, still serious. She wasn't about to let him do something that could get himself killed. It appeared that Ed underestimated the power and danger of the magical monsters.

"I said fine!" Ed snaps as he glares at her.

"C'mon, quit being a jerk!" Sayaka said as she put her hands on her hips. "We're wasting time with you whining like this!"

Ed turns his glare to her, then his frown deepens. "Whatever." He mutters, letting it go. "So fine. I'll stay behind you Mami. But I still think that-"

"You can take care of yourself, yes." Mami said as she looked at the portal again. "Let's just go, please."

"Hmph." Ed huffs as he starts off towards the stairs.

Ed, Al, Sayaka, and Madoka run up the stairs and up to the labyrinth portal. Mami goes in first, followed by Ed and Sayaka, then Al. Madoka hesitates, but she enters anyways.

At the entrance of the building, Homura watches them enter the portal.

* * *

><p><strong>So… That's done :3 Again, sorry it took a long-ish time to update! Reviews are appreciated!<strong>


	7. First Labyrinth Ch6

**Wow… I have not updated this in a while. Well, here it is. But I think you should know why this is taking so long. Simple reason, really. And that reason is that I couldn't think of a good way to start it and I've got a bit of a writer's block. I've been busy with school and stuff too, so there's that.**

* * *

><p>The labyrinth was absolutely chaotic with its bright colors and strange structures zigzagging its walls. Nothing like Ed and Al had ever seen before, really. Magic and science does not mix, after all.<p>

"I can't believe all this stuff is actually real!" Alphonse exclaimed as he followed Mami. "It seems like a weird dream or something."  
>Mami smiled. "Well, you get used to it after a while." She told him as she created a flintlock rifle. Something that resembled an odd Cyclops ice cream cone with butterfly wings flew in front of them, and Mami quickly shot it down.<p>

"What the hell was that!?" Ed said as he looked at another one.

Mami glanced at Ed, then back at the thing in front of her. "Those are familiars." She informed him as she shot down another.

"But I thought the cotton ball things were familiars." Ed said, confused.

"There are usually many different kinds of familiars in a labyrinth." She smiled as she checked the passage for any more of the magical monsters. "All clear! Let's go."

After a while of walking and familiar slaying, Mami stopped in front of a bridge that was swarming with the things.

"Man, this is weird!" Sayaka groaned as she stepped back a bit. "They're all over the place!"

"Where do they keep coming from?" Madoka asked.

"Oh, the Witch makes them. Familiars protect the Witch's labyrinth and help lure in their victims." Mami explained as she shot another familiar. She threw the empty rifle to the side and made another one.

Ed thought about this for a moment, then frowned. "That's pretty smart of them. I still find it hard to believe that no one else knows about this other than you Magical Girls." He said.

"Mami _did_ say they're careful about keeping themselves secret." Al reminded him.

"Yeah, but still." Ed frowned. "Wait, how do they keep themselves secret…?"  
>Sayaka shrugged. "I guess they kill whatever gets in here." She suggested. "I mean, how else would they keep secret?"<p>

"I guess so…" Ed muttered as they turned around a corner.

More gunshots. More dead familiars.

"Are you guys scared?" Mami asked as she stepped back to them.

"Scared? No way!" Sayaka denied as she hugged her baseball bat closer.

"Not really. Just very confused." Alphonse admitted.

"I've seen worse." Ed muttered. Creepy, sure. Scary? Not that much. "The things in here are honestly sillier looking than they are scary."

"You're not scared at all?" Madoka said quietly, looking at him.

"In my, uh, line of work I go into life or death situations all the time." Ed told her as they turned another corner.

"Really? What job do you have?" Madoka inquired. Kyubey's tail flicked and it looked at Mami, who was walking across a bridge, one that was longer than the last.

Ed pulled his silver pocket watch up. "I'm a State Alchemist." He told her.

Sayaka turned to look, and her mouth opened slightly. "Woah, no way! But you're only, like, fifteen!" She gasped, impressed. "How'd you manage to do that!?"  
>Ed smirked as they stepped onto the bridge. "I'm just a good alchemist." He said nonchalantly.<p>

Up ahead, Mami stops. Her gold eyes narrowed, and she looked around. "There aren't any familiars in this room…" She observed, growing suspicious.

"What?" Al said as he stepped up behind her. Sayaka turned her attention to the Magical Girl and she walked up next to her.

"Maybe they just aren't here?" She suggested. That was shot down quickly by Mami.

"No, we're close to the Witch so there should be familiars here." Mami informed her.

Behind them, Madoka stuck close to Ed. Kyubey hopped off her shoulder and walked over to Mami. Ed, who was getting a bad feeling about this, looked up. His eyes widened as he noticed the swarm of familiars.

"Mami, above us!" He alerted her as a mass of familiars shot down from the ceiling.

Slamming into the thin bridge, the familiars' combined weight shattered and crumbled the magic substance. Mami, Sayaka, and Al were now separated from Ed and Madoka. Mami instinctively pointed her flintlock rifle up to shoot the approaching familiars, and multiple ribbons wrapped around them to keep the writhing mass from attacking or scattering.

"Stay still and don't provoke the familiars!" She commanded Ed and Madoka. "I'll get you out of there!"

Ed gulped, and looked at Madoka. Now was not the time, but he noticed that she was shorter than him by a few inches. This was because she was younger than him, but still. She was clinging to his arm, trembling and scared, so he tried to keep the pinkette calm.

"Don't worry." He assured her, with confidence and a grin. "You're fine as long as I'm here."

She looked up at him with wide pink eyes, then a familiar shot out of the group towards them.

"Crap!" Ed exclaimed as he pulled his arm away from Madoka for a moment. He clapped his hands together and transmuted a blade out of his automail, ripping apart his glove in the process. As the familiar got close, he brought his arm up to clock. The familiar flew right into the blade though, which cut it in half.

"Your arm!" Madoka gasped as the familiar spiraled down out of sight, way below the bridge, but then the ground beneath her and Ed began to tremble.

"Oh shit." Ed mumbled as the bridge collapsed, and they fell with it. Looking up, he saw Al and Sayaka looking over the edge of the safe bridge, and he could tell they were scared too. They were yelling something, but the noise of the familiars was too loud for him to hear them.

Shimmering golden ribbons wrapped around Ed and Madoka, but they only slowed their fall.

"What do I do!?" Ed thought in panic as he looked around, trying to find a way to get them out of the situation. But he couldn't find anything.

The fall was long, so he turned his head to look at the ground beneath them. The ground looked like it wasn't that hard and there was an absence of familiars there. Ed tried to concentrate on landing on a soft looking spot, but Madoka's crying was keeping him from giving his full attention to the task. He looked up again to see how far they had fallen now. The air above had turned dark and kept him from seeing Mami or Al or Sayaka anymore. The situation looked bleak, and the ribbons were vanishing, so he squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for landing.

Then their descent suddenly stopped. Ed opened his eyes, and was met with an icy violet gaze.

"You!?" He gasped in surprise. He noticed that Madoka was clinging to Homura's back, and the violet eyed Magical Girl had a slightly irritated expression.

They land softly, and Homura gently put Ed down. Madoka dropped off Homura's back, and buried her face in her hands. That experience was too much for her at the moment.

"Are you alright?" Homura asked them.

Ed blinked, still in shock. She saved them. She _saved_ them. This was supposed to be an enemy Magical Girl, and she was helping. He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine." He grunted as he got up. "Madoka… Um, Madoka. It's okay now." He really didn't know how to deal with crying girls.

Homura crouched down next to Madoka, rubbing the shaking girl's back. "You're safe. Don't worry." Homura assured her with a gentle tone. It seemed strange for Homura to act so kind towards them considering their previous encounter. "Come on, I'll help you up." She held her hand out to her.

Madoka slowly stopped crying, then looked up and took her hand. Homura pulled her off the ground, then she turned to Ed.

"Well then. I suppose I should help you back to the rest of the group. Unless you want to leave the labyrinth. I know the way out." Homura offered as she pushed her hair out of her face, making it flip slightly. **(A.N.: I love Homura's hair flip)  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"BROTHER!" Al yelled as he leaned over the edge, watching his brother fall.<p>

"No, MADOKA!" Sayaka screamed, now in a full panic.

Mami turned her attention to her falling friends to create a net of ribbons in hopes of slowing their fall, but a familiar interrupted her attempt so she couldn't complete it.

Kyubey tilted its head. "Oh my. This isn't good." It commented. "I hope they're okay."

Once the familiars were dead, Mami hurried over to Al and Sayaka. Al was trembling, and Sayaka was sitting next to him with her knees hugged up to her chest.

"They're going to be fine." Mami said calmly, trying to calm everyone down.

"But they just fell… And the familiars…" Sayaka mumbled, her face covered by her arms.

"If I kill the Witch fast enough the labyrinth will vanish. We're right outside the center of this one, so let's hurry. And the ribbons I created should have slowed them down enough so they wouldn't get hurt." Mami reassured her. "Then, once the labyrinth is gone, Edward and Madoka will be put back into the regular world."

Al looked up at her, his armor creaking. "Can't we go after them?" He asked.

"It would be too dangerous to go down all at once. We could draw the attention of more familiars." Mami said as she looked around. "We need to go now. The longer we wait the more danger they could be in."

Sayaka stood up. "Mami, maybe if I make a contract I can help!" She offered eagerly.

"You don't know what to wish for though." Mami reminded her as they start to walk.

"Well…" Sayaka muttered, her shoulders sagging in disappointment.

"I'll go look around and see if I can find them." Kyubey said as it peered over the edge of the bridge. "I'll get back eventually." With that, the white creature hopped off the bridge.

Alphonse stayed silent. He could wish for he and Ed's bodies back to normal and help everyone. But then he would have to do this dangerous sort of thing for the rest of his life. He and Ed were trying to get back to normal so that they could have peace, not this. But it could be worth it… He had a lot of conflicting thoughts about this now.

* * *

><p>Ed and Madoka followed Homura with an awkward silence hanging in the air around them. Madoka glanced at Ed's arm, and then at his face.<p>

"Um... Your arm. That's automail, right?" She said quietly.

Ed looked at her and nodded. "Yeah it is." He told her, then paused. "I was in an accident a long time ago." He used his default lie again as he clapped his hands together, then he turned his arm back to normal. He looked ahead and at Homura.

"Why did you save us?" He asked. "I thought you didn't want any other Magical people whatever around or anything."

"I don't want any harm to come to you both. Same for Alphonse." Homura said simply. "And as for the topic of contracts, I do not mind having more Magical Girls around, but Madoka mustn't make a contract. Edward, you should avoid Kyubey as well."

Ed's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How do you know my name? I haven't told you that before! And same for Al! You aren't stalking us are you?" He accused her. "And why don't you want us to make contracts with Kyubey?"

"I was not stalking you." She said calmly. "I heard your names in the labyrinth the other day."

Madoka looked at Homura. "At school… You said that I shouldn't change who I am or I'll lose everything I love…" She said quietly. "Were you talking about me becoming a Magical Girl?"

Homura paused, but still answered. "Yes. And it applies to you too Edward." She told them. "So, as I've said before, neither of you should make the contract."

Ed frowned. She was starting to piss him off with her vagueness and strange attitude. "Maybe I need to use that wish." He said, anger hinting in his voice.

Homura glanced back at him. "To restore your body? Or... perhaps Alphonse's?" She said smoothly, as if it were nothing.

Ed's eyes widened. How could she possibly know about that!? And the look in this girl's eyes… Homura was looking at him with a blank, but at the same time almost forlorn stare. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, and it was really pissing him off!

"Your bodies?" Madoka mumbled, looking at Ed. "What does that mean…?"

Ed ignored her though, and his shock was replaced by anger. "How the hell do you know about _that_!?" He growled, walking closer to Homura. "Just what else do you know about us?"

The raven haired girl stopped, and she turned to face him. A shadow covered one of her eyes as she tilted her head to the side, staring at him with a cold expression. "Everything." She stated with a cool, blank tone."Don't worry. I will not tell anyone."

Madoka was feeling a bit ignored. Ed and Homura were talking… Or rather, Ed was yelling at Homura while she just responded like how a parent would converse with a child throwing a tantrum.

"Please stop fighting…" She said to them, mostly to Ed since he was freaking out. She was ignored again.

The pinkette looked down at the ground with a small pout on her lips. There was a rustle to the side, and she looked up. "What's that…?" She wonders as she looks to the side of their path. A bunch of brightly colored flowers were shaking violently, like something was moving through them. "Ah… Homura…" She called out. "There's something over there…"

The raven-haired girl looked back at her, then at the bushes of flowers. Several cotton-ball familiars spilled out of the flowers, and crept towards them.

"Crap, there's familiars down here!?" Ed exclaimed as he prepared to transmute. But... before he could do so several loud gunshots rang through the air and the familiars were reduced to fluff. He looked towards the origin of the shots, and saw that Homura was holding an assault rifle. "What the… Where the hell did you get _that_ from!?"

Homura looked at him. "Are you asking where I got it from just now or where I took it from?" She asked coolly.

"I don't care! Grr... Both, I guess!" He snapped as he stared at the weapon.

Homura pushed her hair out of her face and tucked the gun away in her buckler. "I keep my weapons inside of this," She holds up her arm to show him her small, circular shield. "And I got the assault rifle from East City's military center."

Ed's eyes narrowed. "So _you're_ the one who took those?" He frowned, remembering his annoying superior complaining about a weapons theft. "How did you not get caught? And you know I'm in the military right? I could arrest you."

"Yes. And I am aware that you could try to arrest me." She answered with out changing her expression at all. "But you won't. And you seem to forget that I am a Magical Girl. It was a simple task of obtaining these weapons."

Edward blinked, taken aback by her straightforward answer. "Just how much did you take…?" He didn't hang around that city too much since Mustang always pissed him off, so he really didn't know too much about the situation other than that a lot of stuff went missing. Besides that, he was thinking with irritation at her mention of her being a Magical Girl. The mention of magic, even when surrounded by the stuff, still frustrated him. The concept was foreign and poorly explained, so he was uncomfortable with her using that as an excuse.

"Almost everything." Homura answered simply as she continued walking.

Madoka walked alongside Ed. "I don't really get what's going on anymore…" She said quietly. "I wish we were still with Mami…"

"Yeah, me too." Ed replied grumpily. "I don't get what's up with this girl… At least Mami kept things somewhat normal."

After a while of walking, they come to a doorway. It had small floral designs around it and had a strange feeling.

"The Witch is right through here." Homura told them as she pushed open the door. "Be careful and stay out of the way."

The three walked through the doorway, entering a dark tunnel. Ed and Madoka trailed behind Homura, glancing around the tunnel with caution in case a familiar decided to attack them by surprise. It was quiet inside; the only noises where the sounds of their walking and distant chitters and chants.

A bright light was at the end of the tunnel, and as they neared its end the loud booms of gunshots became apparent.

"Stay behind me." Homura told the two next to her as they stopped at the exit of the tunnel.

Madoka nodded and stepped back, and Ed muttered a word of agreement. They both looked past Homura to see if they could peek at the Witch though.

"Is that it?" Ed asked as he stared at the huge thing. It had a green, slimy looking head adorned with roses sitting atop a reddish torso. Huge butterfly wings protruded from its back, though they were oddly proportioned and didn't look like they were big enough for it.

"Yes. That is the Witch." Homura confirmed.

Madoka frowned. "It's scary." She said quietly. She noticed something drop down in front of the Witch, and she took a step closer to get a better look. "Oh, it's Mami! Sayaka and Alphonse should be here too, then!"

Ed watched Mami with interest while simultaneously glancing around the room to see if he could spot Al. His search was interrupted by a screech, and he looked back at blonde Magical Girl.

A coil of tiny familiars had wrapped around her, which had then became a rope of some kind. It tightened, and lifted her off the ground. In a swift movement, the Witch hurled Mami into the wall, sending chips of rock-like material down to the ground.

"Mami!" Madoka cried, scared for the older girl.

"Crap, that's bad…" Ed muttered. He knew from experience that that kind of impact could severely injure a person, and while he knew that Mami could _probably_ take care of herself, he was a little skeptical. "Homura, shouldn't you help her?"

"She can handle this on her own. I see no reason to assist her." Homura said. "So it is not a matter of whether or not I can help it, it is that I won't help her."

Ed scowled at her response. "But-"

"Just watch." Homura told him.

"No way! If you won't help her I will!" Ed growled as he stepped forwards, but Homura held her arm out to motion for him to stop.

"No. That witch will kill you with ease." Homura told him coldly. "Mami can can take care of herself."

Ed's frown deepened, and he glanced back at the blonde magical girl to see if she really could get away from the Witch. She was dangling above the Witch now, and was reaching for the ribbon on her chest. She pulls it out of its bow and whips it up, severing the rope-like tendril that held her. As she fell, a huge flintlock pistol of sorts formed in her hands, and she aimed it at the Witch.

The corners of Ed's mouth twitched and threaten to turn into a smile since the comically large gun looked ridiculous, and then Mami called out the name of her attack which added to the hilarity. A beam of golden magic burst from her enormous pistol, and it shot through the Witch to quickly kill it.

"She did it!" Madoka cheered, worry gone. It was amazing to her that the girl only a few years older than her could take out something as big and terrifying as that Witch.

"See? I told you she could handle it on her own." Homura told Edward. Her tone held none of the typical "I told you so" edge that one would usually have, but it made Ed feel a bit sorry for doubting her. Not much though, because he was pretty angry at her for not even trying to assist Mami.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." He grunted as he rubbed the back of his head, turning away. The labyrinth around them quivered and twisted, then it faded to nothing.

"The labyrinth… it's gone?" Madoka said quietly as she stepped away from a concrete wall.

"Yes. When the Witch is killed that labyrinth is destroyed with it since there's no magic left to keep it bound to reality." Homura said as she observed their surroundings.

They were in a partially open area. The concrete walls and ceilings were covered in graffiti, and through the large window-like openings in the wall it could be observed that the sky was a brilliant shade of orange with blue-white clouds streaking the air.

The three of them could hear voices from beyond a doorway covered by a shadow.

"Al?" Ed called out, recognizing his younger brother's voice. "They're over there! C'mon.

He made his way for the doorway, followed by Madoka. Homura trailed behind them at a steady pace.

Al looked around, trying to see if his brother or Madoka was around.

"Where are they? You said that they'd show up when the Witch was dead." Sayaka said to Mami.

"They're around here somewhere, don't worry." Mami reassured the blunette, though she was just as nervous as they were. What if Edward and Madoka had run into more familiars? They wouldn't be able to protect themselves, and it would be her fault for not keeping them safe if they had been killed. "I'm… sure of it."

Alphonse looked at her, his glowing red eyes large and fearful.

"Al?" A male voice said. "They're over there! C'mon!"

"Brother?" Al called out, as he turned to the doorway behind them.

Ed emerged from the shadows, followed by Madoka.

"BROTHER!" Al exclaimed joyfully as he ran to him, enveloping the small blonde in a bone-crushing hug.

Ed wasn't expecting that, and he squirmed. "Ack! Al! Can't- breathe!" He struggled as he tried to escape the hug.

"Oh, sorry!" Al apologized as he let him go. "I was so worried…"

Ed looked up at him and smiled weakly. "I'm fine Al. No reason to be afraid." He comforted him.

Madoka and Sayaka were watching them with small smiles, having already caught up with each other, and Mami walked over to them.

"Are you alright?" She asked Madoka and Edward, relieved that they had made it out okay. "You didn't get hurt when you fell did you?"

Madoka nods. "We're both okay!" She told her.

"And did you run into any familiars?" Mami asked.

"Yes, but-"

"I protected them." Homura said as she entered the room.

Sayaka and Mami turn to her, Sayaka's expression filled with distrust and Mami's with slight suspicion.

"Really now?" Sayaka leered, glaring at her. "Because up until now you've been pretty untrustworthy."

Mami holds her hand up to stop Sayaka from saying anything else, and Madoka frowned at her friend.

"Homura caught me and Ed when we fell, and she kept some familiars from attacking us as well." Madoka informed her quietly. "She's not bad."

Ed nodded, then glanced at Al, remembering how Homura knew about his lack of a body. "I don't trust her completely, but she did help us." He said.

Mami's eyes narrowed at Homura, unsure of how to handle the situation. "You've not tried to harm them, but we still can't trust you completely." She said as she takes a step forwards. "Why did you assist Edward and Madoka?"

Homura pushed her hair back, and her gaze locked onto Mami's. "I have no desire to hurt them in any way, and I only wish to protect them." She said. "I do not need your trust either, nor do I desire it."

"Then you should leave." Mami pressed, her voice losing its welcoming tone. Homura didn't display any ill-will towards them… Well that isn't completely accurate. It was clear that the enigmatic Magical Girl did not like Mami very much, and she didn't show any opinion on Sayaka, but towards Al, Ed, and Madoka she much less harsh and cold.

Without a word, Homura turned around and walked away, disappearing into the shadows and leaving an uncomfortable air behind her.

After a few moments, her footsteps faded away into silence.

Mami clapped her hands together and turned to the group of non-magicals behind her. "Well then, I think we should continue with what we were doing. We're almost done, so it shouldn't take long." She said with a new cheer in her voice. She motioned towards a place on the floor, and the four look. Sitting there was a small black orb encased with metal. On its top was a small butterfly symbol, and it had a center design of a flower.

Mami bent over and picked it up, then she turned to her trainees. "This is a grief seed." She told them as she held it up. "Do you remember when I told you how Witches drop a certain reward when killed? This is it."

Al observed that the grief seed resembled a strange soul gem, and he nodded. "So this is the reward?" He asked. "Why is it important?"

"Grief seeds are important for Magical Girls to have because of what they do." She said as she held her soul gem up in her free hand. "See how it's a muddier color than before? Soul gems grow darker with the more magic you use, so you have to use a grief seed to replenish it." She held the grief seed to the honey-colored gem, and a cloud of darkness flowed out of it and into the grief seed.

"What happens if your soul gem darkens completely?" Ed asked her.

"I'm not sure. Kyubey said that when it fully darkens you won't be able to fight anymore. I guess he meant that you'll be out of magic to use." Mami said thoughtfully. She looked at them, then smiled softly. "It's getting late, so we should probably head back home now."

"I wonder what my dad is making for dinner…" Madoka said absentmindedly.

"He's a great cook, so odds are it'll be something good!" Sayaka grinned as she poked Madoka's side. "I'm jealous."

Ed looked at Alphonse, then shrugged. "We'll see you tomorrow then." The shorty said as he turned to leave.

The group said their goodbyes, then parted ways for the night.

Ed and Al walked down the sidewalk, tired from the day's events. They were discussing what had gone on in the labyrinth, but the conversation gradually got less enjoyable.

"I was really scared when you and Madoka fell…" Al said quietly. "What if Homura wasn't there?"

Ed stopped, remembering about Homura. "Things turned out okay in the end though, right?" He put his hands in his pockets. "But there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Al looked at him. "What is it?"

"Well, Homura knows about… um… us. She knows about our bodies, and she's let on that she knows how we lost them too." Ed frowned.

"What!?" Alphonse blurted out. "Does she really?"  
>Ed nodded. "From what I can tell, yeah. She does know. I don't know how though, but we need to be more careful about keeping it secret."<p>

"But how did she find out?" Al asked.

"I have no idea." Ed sighed. "She said that she wouldn't tell anyone, but that still leaves the fact that she does know." He looked up at the brilliant sky and frowned. "Maybe she figured it out with some magic stuff. Who knows? She might even be able to help us."

"Maybe…"

* * *

><p><strong>There. I finished it! So sorry it took so long! I think I might be through the writer's block, which is good. I figured that following the story too closely would defeat the purpose of this being a fanfiction, so I made a thing. Yay I made a thing!<strong>

**So, let's see… I'm going to answer a few questions and things that I have received.**

**If Al were to make a contract, odds are he'd wish for his body back and his soul gem would connect to that. If he didn't wish for that his soul gem would be created and he'd be disconnected from his armor, ultimately killing him. I'm not going to let the brothers make a wish. Either by their own decision not to or through Homura's intervention.**

**I am now considering every character for shipping! Why? Because I can and I want to! It's a surprise what will happen!**

**And I have a question for you guys:**

**Should Mami die?**

**If you make a good point on whether or not she should or should not die, I'll consider it. I make the final decision in the end though, cuz, well… I'm the author! Yeaaaah!**

**And here's a lil' bonus since I was gone for so long:**

OMAKE

Madoka walked alongside Ed. "I don't really get what's going on anymore…" She said quietly. "I wish we were still with Mami…"

Before Ed could reply, Kyubey popped up and there was a bright light around Madoka.

"Your wish has been granted!" It said as they all teleport over to Mami.

Wide-eyed, Homura stared at the large pink gem in Madoka's hands.

"GODDAMNIT KYUBEY SHE DIDN'T MEAN IT LITERALLY!" Homura screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go. All done! Have a nice day.<strong>


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